Regulating the exhaust of steam-engines



lily l N.FErERs. PHOTD.LITHOGRAPHER. WASNINGTDN. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

JAMES THIERRY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

REGULATING THE EXHAUST 0F STEAM-ENGINES.

Speccation of Letters Patent No. 28,918, dated June 26, 1860.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES THIERRY, of Detroit, in the county of Wayne, in the State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Governor to regulate the Generating of Steam for Locomotive and other Engines Employing Steam-Blasts; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention may be divided into two somewhat different combinations, which are as follows:

Uombz'natz'on No. 1.--In this arrangement I combine the exhaust-nozzle of a locomotive, or other steam-blast-employing engine, with a steam-balanced exhaust valve controlled by the variable pressure of the steam in the boiler through the medium of an elastic Siphon shaped steam tube or its equivalent, the opening of which exhaust-valve varying with the pressure in the boiler, thereby conducting-off variable quantities of the exhaust-steam, otherwise passing through said nozzle, so as to vary the intensity of the steam-blast and conform the generating of the steam to the consumption of the same. Thus combined and applied my invention becomes a governor to regulate the generating of steam, operated by the variable pressure of the steam in the boiler.

Combination No. This combination is like No. l with the following exceptions: The elastic Siphon shaped steam tube and its steam-connections are omitted and substituted by some suitable hand-gear (such as a light iron rod reaching from the engine-man to a lever connected onto said exhaust-valve, the controlling power of the steam being substituted by that of the engineman. In this case my invention becomes a governor to regulate the generating of steam, operated by the engineman through the medium of a hand-gear.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

Construction and operation of combina tion N o. 1 I construct my exhaust-pipe and nozzle in the usual forms, but in order to remove the injurious mode of regulating the production of steam by the use of a damper, or the alternate opening and closing of the furnace-door, I combine the exhaust-nozzle D (as shown in the accompanying drawing) with a steam-balanced exhaust-valve C itself connected onto an elastic Siphon-shaped steam tube R, which siphonshaped steam tube being applied to the boiler, either directly or through the medium of a steam-tube E, will be constantly filled with steam or water from said boiler, it follows as a consequence that the internal pressure of said Siphon-tube will vary with that in the boiler, distending said siphon-shaped steam-tube more or less according to the intensity of said pressure.

Before proceeding any further it is necessary to describe the exhaust-valve C which is represented as a hollow-cylinder with a perforated bottom, fitting loosely into a cylindrical casing provided with exhaust-holes and tight bottom to prevent-the escape of exhauststeam in that direction. From the nature of the functions of said exhaust valve it is clear that none but exhaust-steam can gain admission into its interior, the pressure of which steam constantly balancing itself on the surface of said valve will not affect the same, and will therefore leave it perfect-ly free to follow the motion of the vibrating end of the Siphon-tube to which it is attached. y

Mode of operation-A gradual increase of pressure in the boiler will occasion a gradual distention of the elastic Siphon-shaped steam tube, which in its turn will gradually remove the exhaust-valve from its former position to a point allowing just the required opening of valve to conduct off the exact portion of exhaust-steam (otherwise passing through the nozzle) exceeding the amount required through the nozzle to conform the intensity of the steam-blast, or the generating of the steam to the consumption of the same. A decrease of pressure in the boiler, will relieve in part the siphonshaped steam tube, thereby decreasing the opening of said exhaust valve and at the same time increasing the amount of steam passing through said exhaust nozzle, which will increase the intensity of the steam-blast and the amount of steam generating until it shall have reached the pressure in the boilerl allowed by the regulating apparatus as described.

Construction and operation of combination No. tQ.--In this arrangement the siphon shaped steam tube R is not wanted and is therefore omitted, and a convenient handgear substituted in its place, which may be applied as represented in Fig. 6, or in some other suitable manner. It is at once per oeived that in this combination the regulation of the steam-balanced exhaust-valve C, is entirely done by the engineman ,through the hand-gear, which he does by pulling or pushing the rod F as the engine may require.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. The combination of the exhaust-nozzle or nozzles of locomotive or other steam-blast employing engines, With a steam-balanced exhaust-valve controlled by the variable pressure of the steam in the boiler, through the medium of an elastic Siphon-shaped JAMEs THIERRY.

In presence of- JOHN C. WELLS, MARCUS A. CHASE. 

